Aerosol valve-fast pressure fill type



J. BRIECHLE AEROSOL VALVE FAST PRESSURE FILL T'YPE Filed Sept. 20, 19622 Sheets-Sheet 1 3, mm \\\\\v W m mm s 7. W lv a w a w 3 P4 4 a wi w n.I .r w E Iv BY mflwmwm ATTORNEYS.

3; ES w Nov. 24, 1964 I J. BRIECHLE 3,158,298

AEROSOL VALVE FAST PRESSURE FILL TYPE Filed Sept. 20, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6.

ENTOR JOS BRIECHLE ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,153,298 AERGSKEL VALVE-FAST PRESURJE FlLL TYPEloseph Briechle, New Qauaau, Coma, assignor to Scovill ManufacturingQornpany, Waterbury, Quinn, :1 corporation of {Jonnecticut Filed Sept.26, 1962, Ser. No. 225,387 6 Claims. (Q. 222-4594) The present inventionrelates to an aerosol valve and to such valve for use in combinationwith a container for a pressurized fluid which is adapted to bedispensed in the form of a spray mist or as a foam depending upon thecontainer contents.

In devices of the character set forth the containers usually have anopen top to which the aerosol valve is attached either prior to or afterthe propellant, usually a low boiling point fluid, is charged into thecontainer. Where the propellant is charged into the container prior toattaching the valve, the procedure is referred to as cold filling whichrequires the operation to be carried out under refrigeration i.e., at atemperature below the boiling point of the propellant. Where thepropellant is charged into the container after mounting the valvethereto, the propellant in fluid form under high pressure is forced intothe container usually through and/ or around a hollow valve stem uponunseating the valve and this procedure is referred to as pressurefilling. Due to the small dimensional limitations of the valve stem andthe passages therein pressure filing has been heretofore relativelyslow. To increase the pressure filling rate special types of valves havebeen devised for charging the propellant into the container eitherthrough the valve chamber in which the valve is mounted or around saidchamber housing through a space or passages between the valve chamberhousing and the container closure or mounting cap member. These valveshave not proved to be entirely satisfactory because either of theirhigher cost than conventional valves or of imperfect operation undercommercial pressure filling conditions.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved aerosolvalve adapted for use in charging and discharging aerosol products fromcontainers which obviates the objections to prior valves.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved valve foraerosol containers in which the pressure fill passages are independentof the discharge passages.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction ofvalves for aerosol dispensing which can be completely assembled by thevalve manufacturer and used as assembled for either cold filling orpressure filling of aerosol containers with the propellant medium.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a valve assemblyas set forth in the preceding paragraph which will be simple inconstruction, efficient in operation and which can be manufactured andsold competitively with conventional cold filling valves.

The foregoing and other objects or the invention, not specificallyenumerated, and the novel combination and relationship of parts, will bereadily understood from the detafied description which follows whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

H6. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in elevation with the capmember and the container upon which it is mounted in diametricalsection.

FIG. 2 shows a diametrical sectional view of the valve assembly of H6. 1on a greatly enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the relationship of the valveassembly parts during pressure filling of the container with a fiuidpropellant.

FIG. 4 shows a top plan View of the tubular housing or spring cup.

PEG. 5 shows a transverse section taken along the plane of the line 5-5of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a diametrical section through the sealing washer or valveseal.

Referring to the drawings, the invention may be said to consist of anaerosol valve assembly ll? adapted to be mounted in the open end of acontainer 11 and provide a closure therefor.

The valve assembly in consists of a tubular housing or valve and springcup 12 having a chamber 13, an elastomeric sealing Washer or valve seal14, a discharge valve member 5, a spring 16, and a container closure orcap member 17.

The container ll may be of any desired shape and construction providedit has an open top adapted to be closed by the valve assembly 16.

The tubular housing 12 is formed at its upper or outer end with aperipheral flange 1% having chamfered or rounded exterior corners l8 andthe bore of chamber 13 has different internal diameters l9 and 20adjacent its outer end and at its inner end is formed with an axiallyprojecting nipple 21. Between the bore diameters l9 and 2% there isformed a shoulder 22 and the outer portion of the bore 19 is taperedoutwardly to its top as shown at 23 whereas the housing is formed withcircumferentially spaced radial slots, grooves or flutes 24 providingribs 24' which communicate with longitudinal slots, grooves or flutes 25providing ribs 25 formed in the peripheral flange 18. The inner Wall ofthe housing 12 having the diameter Zll is formed with a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced longitudinally extending ribs 26 i which are ofincreasing radial thickness as they extend inwardly from a locationbelow the shoulder 22 to the base of the chamber. Alternate ribs 26 attheir inner ends continue across the base 27 of the chamber to areentrant nipple 23 to provide a seating surface for the spring 16. Thetubular housing may be formed of any suitable material, preferably asynthetic resin which may be molded, such as nylon or the like, which isinert to substances intended to be discharged from the container.

The sealing washer or valve seal 14 is preferably flat and may be formedof any elastomeric material which is not adversely affected by thesubstances intended to be discharged from the container and preferablyis formed with a central hole or perforation lda the wall or"- whichtapers outwardly toward the top face of the washer and has an outerperipheral Wall l ib which is concave in radial section as best shown inHG. 6. The outer diameter of the washer is such as to be normallysupported on the tapered portion 23 of the bore portion l? to provide afluid tight seal therewith and be moved inwardly into the bore portion1? under fluid pressure applied externally to its outer surface to seaton the shoulder 22, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The valve member 15 has a solid or closed inner end 29 formed with aninwardly extending axial projection 2% and an outwardly extending hollowcylindrical stem 30 which is open at its top and is slidable in theopening 14a of the washer 14 with a fluid tight fit, said closed end ofthe valve having an outwardly extending annular flange 3i spacedradially from the lower end of the tubular stern and providing therewithan annular channel 32 and the inner end of the tubular stem 3% is formedwith an orifice 359a communicating with said channel. Like the housing12, the valve member 15 may be formed of any suitable material, such asnylon or other synthetic resin, which is inert to the substances to bedischarged from the container.

The container closure or cap member 17 is of cup shape form and has acentrally re-entrant tubular part or pedestal 33 and an outer peripheralbead or flange 34 for attachment or" the valve assembly to the container11. The tubular part of pedestal 33 surrounds the periphery of theflange 13 and has its upper end formed as an inwardly directed topflange 35 overlying the sealing washer l4 and terminating in axialspaced relation to the tubular stem as shown at 36. The inner end ofsaid tubular part or pedestal 33 is staked inwardly at circumferentiallyspaced locations to engage the lower corner 18 of the flange 13 as shownat 35:: to support the valve parts and to hold the washer and housing influid tight engagement. The staking is preferably of less depth than thegroves 25 or ribs 25 to insure maximum passage of fluid propellant whencharging the container with the propellant during pressure filling thecontainer.

As is conventional, there is frictionally mounted on the outer end ofthe tubular stem 3% to be movable therewith an operating cap or button37 of generally cylindrical form of smaller diameter than the pedestal33, the button having a discharge opening 37a connecting with a passage38 which in turn communicates with the bore in the hollow stem 30. Also,as is conventional, a dip tube 39 is attached to the inwardly extendingnipple 21.

The characteristic differences between the aerosol valve assembly thusfar described and prior constructions are:

(l) The tubular housing or spring cup 12 is formed at its upper or outerend with a flange having transverse groves or flutes 2- 4 whichcommunicate with longitudinaily extending grooves or flutes 25 whichflutes in conjunction with the contiguous parts of the cap memberprovide unobstructed passages which open into the container; (2) thesealing washer 14 is of novel form and is normally supported on anupwardly tapered surface as shown at 23 within the bore or chamber 19 atthe outer end of the tubular housing and is held in unclamped pressuresealing relation against the underside of the top flange of the capmember to obturate the passages through the grooves 24 and in axiallyspaced relation to the shoulder 22 in the housing, in relation to whichis bodily movable the sealing washer; (3) that because of said mountingand relationship of parts the washer does not break its sealingengagement with either the tubular housing or the valve stem during itsbodily movement or during the longitudinal or tilting movement of thevalve stem permitted by the opening 36 in the top flange 35; and (4) theoverall diameter of the cap or button is smaller than the diameter ofthe top flange 35.

By virtue of the aforementioned characteristic differences the valveassembly as a completely assembled unit may be attached to a container11 after the active material to be dispensed therefrom has been placedtherein and the fluid propellant then charged into the container by thepressure filling method without removing the operating button asilustrated in FIG. 3 wherein a pressure filling head 40 of largerdiameter than the pedestal 33 and having a packing ring 41, held ontothe filling head 30 in any suitable manner, such as by a flanged sleeve4-2, is positioned over said pedestal to make a fluid tight sealtherewith and a low boiling point propellant such as Freon under highpressure is applied to such filling head. Part of the propellant willinitially enter through the dispensing opening 37a in the button, passthrough the valve stem 30 and orifice 30a to exert an opening force onthe valve member 15 to move said valve into abutting engagement with theshoulders 43 provided at the top of the ribs 26 and permit a limitedquantity of propellant to enter the valve chamber 13 and from therethrough the dip tube 40 into the container. Simultaneously with the flowof the fluid propellant through the valve stem 3t), the propellant willflow through the annular space 36 to act against the exposed inner orcentral portion of the washer 14 and operate to axially move the washerbodily within the tubular housing out of contact with the top flange 35and onto the shoulder 22 thus exposing the grooves 24 to provide passagefor the propellant therethrough and through the grooves 25 into thecontainer 11 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. During this actionthe fluid tight seal between the washer 12 with both the bore 19 of thehousing 12 and the outer wall of the valve stem 30 is maintained so thatafter the initial slight admission of fluid under pressure through thevalve stem 39 and valve member 15 into the container through the diptube 39 has taken place the washer will seat on the sealing surface onthe top of the flange 31 and on the shoulder 22 and all subsequent fluidpropellant being charged to the container will follow the paths of thearrows in FIG. 3 and not pass through the tubular housing. The rate ofpressure filling will therefore not be limited to the cross-sectionalarea of the dip tube. When the container has been pressurized and thepressure valve head removed, the valve member 15 will move the washer14, under the force of the spring 15 and the internal propellantpressure within the container, to its normal closed position as shown inFIG. 2. Since only the propellant is pressure charged into the containerany residue of the propellant left on the button or the cap member willevaporate therefrom almost instantly.

By virtue of the annular space 36 between the inner periphery of the capflange 35 and the outer wall of the valve stem 30, it will be apparentthat when manual pressure is applied to the operating button 37 againstthe forces of the spring 16 and the gas pressure within the containerthe applied pressure will either depress or tilt or simultaneouslydepress and tilt the valve member 15 to move it wholly or partially outof sealing engagement with the washer 14 to permit the pressurizedcontents which normally fill the chamber 13 to be discharged through theorifice Stla in the button 37.

In the foregoing description of the invention, the valve assembly may besaid to consist of a discharge valve and a charging valve; the lattercomprising all the essential parts of the tilt type discharge valve andthe improvements which reside in that the cap member and the tubularhousing at contiguous portions of their top and side wall are formed toprovide connecting fluid passages therebetween which are normally closedby the sealing washer which is axially movable bodily within the tubularhousing out of contact with the inwardly extending flange overlying thewasher by fluid pressure applied exteriorly against the central portionof the washer externally of the valve stem through the central openingin the top flange and provide free access for such applied fluid fromsaid central opening to said connecting fluid passages to such fluidunder pressure for admission thereof to the container upon which thevalve assembly is mounted.

Although the foregoing description in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings describes a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to beunderstood that changes in details of construction and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to within the range of mechanical and engineeringskill without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What I claim is:

1. A completely assembled aerosol valve unit, for closing the open topof a container which may be thereupon pressurized or discharged throughsaid unit, which comprises a container closure cap member supporting atubular housing having therein a valve chamber of different diameters,an elastomeric sealing washer seating within the chamber portion oflargest diameter and providing a fluid-tight seal with the inner wall ofsaid chamber portion, a valve member in said chamber having a tubularstem extending upwardly through and slidable in the hole in the washerwith a fluid-tight tit and a spring normally biasing the valve intoclosing position against said washer, said cap member having an inwardlydirected top flange with a central opening larger than the valve stemoverlying and exposing the central portion of the washer and an axialtubular portion surrounding said housing and said washer and providingwith the outer peripheries of said housing and said washer communicatingfluid pas sages, the improvements residing in that the chamber portionof largest diameter has an axial dimension greater than the axialthickness of the washer, that the washer is slidabiy mounted in saidchamber portion in fluid-tight engagement with both the wall of saidchamber portion and the tubular valve stem and is normally held inunclamped fluid-tight engagement with the underside of the top flange ofthe cap member by the spring biased valve member and seals offcommunication between said central opening in the top flange of the capmember and the fluid passages, whereby when fluid under pressure isapplied to the exposed central portion of the washer externally of thevalve stem through the central opening in the top flange of the capmember, the washer will bodily move inwardly out of sealing engagementwith the inwardly extending top flange and provide free accessfor suchapplied fiuid from said central opening in the flange to thecommunicating passages while maintaining the fluid-tight sealingengagement between the tubular housing and the tubular valve stern.

2. An aerosol valve unit according to claim 1 wherein the communicatingpassages between the axial portion of the cap member and the outerperipheries of the said housing and said washer are provided bycireumferentially spaced grooves extending across the outer end andlongitudinally of the outer wall of the housing.

3. An aerosol valve unit according to claim 1 wherein the communicatingpassages between the axial portion of the cap member and the outerperipheries of the said housing and said washer are provided bycircumferentiaily spaced grooves extending across the outer end andlongitudinally of the outer wall of the housing, the chamber portion oflargest diameter has an outwardly tapered or frusto-conical portion,inwardly of which there is a shoulder, that the washer is normallysupported on said tapered portion in axially spaced relation to saidshoulder and will move bodily toward said shoulder upon the applicationof said external fluid pressure.

4. An aerosol valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sealingwasher has a central hole which tapers radially outwardly and an outerperiphery which is concave in axial section.

5. An aerosol valve unit according to claim 3, wherein the axialdistance between the top flange of the cap memher and the shoulder inthe housing chamber is such that upon inward movement of the washer inresponse to applied external fluid pressure, the washer will seat onsaid shoulder and will return to its normal seating and sealingengagement with the top flange upon withdrawal of said applied pressure.

6. In the combination of a pressurizeable container and a completelyassembled aerosol valve unit therefor having a discharging valve for thecontainer contents and a charging valve for pressurizing the container,said valve unit being mounted in an opening in the container andcomprising a closure cap for said opening supporting a tubular housinghaving therein a valve chamber of diiterent diameters, an elastomericsealing washer seating within the chamber portion of largest diameterand providing a fluid-tight seal with the inner wall of said chamber porwith a central opening larger than the valve stem over-v lying andexposing the central portion of the washer and an axial tubular portionsurrounding said housing and said washer and providing with the outerperipheries of i said housing and said washer communicating fluidpassages, inward or tilting movement of the valve stem establishing opencommunication between the valve chamber and the ambient atmosphere; thecharging valve for introducing a fluid propellant into the containercomprising the aforementioned tubular housing, the elastomeric sealingwasher and the top flange of the cap member; the improvements residingin that the communicating passages between said axial portion of the capmember and the outer peripheries of said housing and said washer areprovided by circumferentially spaced grooves extending across the outerend and longitudinally of the outer wall of the housing, that thechamber portion of largest diameter has an axial dimension greater thanthe axial thickness of the washer, that the washer is slidably mountedin said chamber portion in fluid-tight engagement with both the wall'ofsaid chamber portion and the tubular valve stem and is normally held inunclamped fluid-tight engagement with the underside of the top flange ofthe cap member by the spring biased valve member and seals oficommunication between said central opening in the top flange of the capmember and the circumferentially spaced grooves extending across theouter end of the 7 housing, whereby when fluid under pressure is appliedto the exposed central portion of the washer externally of the valvestem through the central opening in the top flange of the cap member,the washer will bodily move inwardly out or" sealing engagement with theinwardly extending top flange and provide free access for such appliedfluid from said central opening in the flange to the spaced grooves andthrough said grooves into the container,-

while maintaining the fluid-tight sealing engagement between the tubularhousing and the tubular valve stem.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RAPHAEL M. LUPO,Primary Examiner.

1. A COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AEROSOL VALVE UNIT, FOR CLOSING THE OPEN TOPOF A CONTAINER WHICH MAY BE THEREUPON PRESSURIZED OR DISCHARGED THROUGHSAID UNIT, WHICH COMPRISES A CONTAINER CLOSURE CAP MEMBER SUPPORTING ATUBULAR HOUSING HAVING THEREIN A VALVE CHAMBER OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS,AN ELASTOMERIC SEALING WASHER SEATING WITHIN THE CHAMBER PORTION OFLARGEST DIAMETER AND PROVIDING A FLUID-TIGHT SEAL WITH THE INNER WALL OFSAID CHAMBER PORTION, A VALVE MEMBER IN SAID CHAMBER HAVING A TUBULARSTEM EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH AND SLIDABLE IN THE HOLE IN THE WASHERWITH A FLUID-TIGHT FIT AND A SPRING NORMALLY BIASING THE VALVE INTOCLOSING POSITION AGAINST SAID WASHER, SAID CAP MEMBER HAVING AN INWARDLYDIRECTED TOP FLANGE WITH A CENTRAL OPENING LARGER THAN THE VALVE STEMOVERLYING AND EXPOSING THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE WASHER AND AN AXIALTUBULAR PORTION SURROUNDING SAID HOUSING AND SAID WASHER AND PROVIDINGWITH THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID WASHER COMMUNICATINGFLUID PASSAGES, THE IMPROVEMENTS RESIDING IN THAT THE CHAMBER PORTION OFLARGEST DIAMETER HAS AN AXIAL DIMENSION GREATER THAN THE AXIAL THICKNESSOF THE WASHER, THAT THE WASHER IS